Folding machines for laundry use



Nov. 25, 1958 w. s. e. ORAN FOLDING MACHINES FOR LAUNDRY USE Filed April 18, 1956 United States Patent FOLDING MACHINES FOR LAUNDRY USE William Broadbent Gordon Cran, Broomhill, High Flatts, Huddersfield, England, assignor to William Broadbeut & Sons Limited, Huddersfield, England, a British com- P y Application April 18, 1956, Serial No. 579,105 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 27, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl. 270-68) This invention relates to folding machines for laundry of the type in which prior to the actual folding operation, the leading edge of the article to be folded (which is being carried by a conveyor) is passed on to a moving plate, which at the appropriate time is raised so as to cause such leading edge to be gripped between the moving plate and a fixed plate or bar. A machine of the said type is described in the specification of prior U. S. application Serial No. 445,386, now Patent No. 2,811,350.

The moving plate or bar which lifts the leading edge of the article and holds it in an elevated position is normally quite narrow, for example 2" or less. It is not easy to ensure that the leading edge of each article when fed on to the conveyor of the folding machine is both straight and reasonably parallel to the moving plate or bar. It may happen, for example, that one or the other end of the leading edge is turned back on itself, or pulled out, so that some part of the leading edge is more advanced than the reminder.

As the control means (actuated by the leading edge of the article to be folded) .which cause the lifting of the aforesaid moving plate are normally located at or near the centre of the folding machine, inaccurate feeding, such as previously referred to, would mean that some part of the leading edge of the article reaches the moving plate (and may ride up it) before the actuation of the control means takes place. In such a case, an excessive amount of the leading edge will be lifted and gripped between the moving plate and the fixed plate or bar and this may result in such leading edge not falling freely when the moving plate is lowered to release the grip on such edge. There will then be an imperfect folded article. It will be appreciated that when the leading edge of an article is raised, the remainder of the article passes beneath the moving plate to complete the fold.

The object of the present invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for overcoming the disadvantage before referred to associated with the feeding of the leading edge of each article on to the moving plate and the gripping thereof between such plate and a fixed plate or bar.

The invention consists in a folding machine for laundry use comprising gripping means for the leading edge of the article which is to be folded and which is being carried forward on a conveyor, the said gripping means comprising a vertically movable member having a face on to which the leading edge of the article is fed and a fixed member against which the moving member presses the leading edge of the article, whilst the remainder of the article is carried forward beneath the moving member, characterised in this, that a length of flexible sheet is connected to the fixed member and to the moving member so that it is relatively taut when the moving member is in its lowest position and acts as a barrier to prevent an excessive amount of the article remaining upon and being gripped between the fixed and moving members.

The invention further comprises a folding machine as e 2,861,801 Patented Nov. 25, 1958 aforesaid in which the lower edge of the flexible material is connected to the face of the movable member upon which the article is delivered at a short distance from the edge of such face over which the leading edge of the article passes.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory diagrams:

Figure 1 is a general view showing part of a folding machine with an article moving towards the folding position, with the means which grip the leading edge of the article constructed and arranged in one convenient form in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is similar to Figure l but shows the leading edge of the article to be folded on the moving member of the gripping means and being raised to the gripping position.

Figure 3 shows the leading edge of the article gripped between the moving and fixed parts of the gripping means.

Figure 4 shows the moving part of the gripping means descending and releasing its grip on what is now a rear edge of the folded article.

Figure 5 shows the folded article being conveyed away beneath the gripping means.

There are three electric switch operating arms a, b and c which are engaged successively by the article d which is to be folded and which is carried forwards on a belt conveyor 2. The switch arms operate switches f, g and h which are in series in the circuit of an electric solenoid i. The latter is connected to a movable gripping member j which has an inclined face at k which serves to support the leading edge of the article d as it is fed onto the member 1' by the conveyor e. The fixed member of the gripping means is in the form of a bar m. Between and connected at its top and bottom edges to the bar m and the face k of the moving member j is a length of flexible sheet n which may be made of rubber, nylon or other material. The flexible sheet n, when the moving member j moves towards the bar m and when the article d is being fed onto the moving member, passes around or surrounds the leading edge of the article, as shown in Figure 3.

When the parts are in the Figure 1 position, the flexible sheet is relatively taut and presents a barrier or stop to the leading edge of the article d when it. is propelled onto the member 1' by the conveyor belt e. This tautness of the flexible sheet prevents an excessive amount of the article a remaining upon the flexible sheet: and moving member, as the latter is raised, and it follows therefore than when the moving member j is lowered and the grip on the leading edge of the article is released, such leading edge will drop freely from the moving member to complete the fold. This is the Figure 4 position. The final position when the fold is completed is shown in Figure 5, after which the gripping cycle is repeated.

The flexible sheet n in no way restricts the free movements of the moving member j.

If desired, the flexible sheet may be connected to the moving member j a short distance, say one inch, from the lower or forward edge of the inclined face k so that the leading edge of the article d is on such inclined face before it engages the flexible sheet.

In Figure 1, only two of the switch arms a and b have been displaced by the leading edge of the article d so that the solenoid i has not been energised. In Figure 2 the three switch arms a, b and 0 have been displaced sothe solenoid is energised to raise the moving member j upon which the leading edge of the article d is being delivered by the conveyor belt e. In Figure 3, the leading edge of the article d is gripped between the moving member j and the bar m, with the flexible material folded around the leading edge of the article. In Figure 4, the switch arm a has returned to its original position and so the circuit through the solenoid i is broken and the 7 3 moving member 1' descends freeing the end of the article d. In Figure 5, the folding of the article d is completed.

The control of the descent of. the moving member is preferably effected as described in concurrent U. S. ap-' plication Serial" No. 575,135, now U. S. Patent No. 2,815,946..

' The conveyor e preferably comprises a number of belts with the arms a, b and c passing between the belts when not being displaced by the article d which is being folded.

What I claim is:

1 A folding machine for laundry use comprising gripping means for the leading edge of the article which is to be folded, a eonveyor carrying forward said article, said gripping means comprising a' vertically movable member having a face onto which the leading edge of the article is fed the conveyor and a fixed member against which moving member when it is raised presses the leading edge of the article, the conveyor car- 20 rying forward the remainder of the article beneath the moving member while the latter is raised, a flexible sheet connected to the fixed member and the moving member and of such length that said sheet is relatively taut when the moving member is in its lowest position; said sheet then acting as a barrier to prevent an excessive amount of the article from being conveyed onto and remaining upon the moving member and being gripped between the fixed and moving members when the moving member is raised, and means responsive to the movement of said article to be folded for raising said movable member when the leading edge of said article contacts said movable member and for lowering the same to its lowest position after said article has been folded.

2. A folding machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the lower edge of the flexible sheet is connected to the movable member upon which the article is delivered at a short distance from the edge of-such face over which the leading edge of the article is passed by the conveyor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,815,946 Gram Dec. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 745,778 Great Britain Feb. 29, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certifieate of (lorrection Patent No. 2,861,801 November 25, 1958 William Broadbent Gordon Cram It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the sand Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant, lines 2 :md 3, and 15?, and. in the heading to the printed specification, 111165 4: and 5, name 01" asslgnee, form/1 111121111 Broadbent & Sons Llmlted read Th0mas Broadbent & Sons L11n1ted.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of April 1959.

[SEAL] Attest: T. B. MORROW, ROBERT C. WVATSON, Attestz'ng OIfiOGT. Commissioner of Patents. 

